Pics: Mounesh Vishwakarma
Daijiworld Media Network - Bantwal
Bantwal, May 21: A loss of Rs 20 lac has been reported from a bidi factory which caught fire at around 2 am on Saturday May 21.
The factory belongs to a certain Prabhudas Kishoredas. Fire fighters from Bantwal, Puttur and Mangalore were rushed to the spot, but by the time the fire was put out, more than 34 lac bidis had been reduced to ashes.
The fire first sparked off in the heating room where the bidis were stacked. Soon the entire stock was engulfed in the fire, causing damage to the roof also.
It was the neighbours who first noticed the fire and alerted the fire service teams and the police in the middle of the night. Despite efforts by the fire fighting teams, the police and locals, not much could be salvaged.